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**Author Peek** Interview with Catherine Dilts

Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.

Good morning, Karen. Thank you for having me on your blog. I grew up in the West, where the first books I remember loving were Cowboy Sam early readers by Edna Walker Chandler. I settled in Colorado 35 years ago, so naturally my novel-length fiction is set in a contemporary Colorado mountain town. My short fiction appears regularly in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and reflects my experience in a factory setting as an environmental regulatory specialist. I like to include cowboy and cowgirl characters in my stories when I can, which provides an excuse to do research by horseback riding. When I’m not working the day job or writing, I enjoy gardening, camping, and fishing.

1. How did you get started writing?

My siblings and I learned the quickest way to gain the undistracted attention of adult relatives was to stage little plays we wrote. I’m sure they were awful, but the great-aunts were delighted with our attempts. The mixed drinks they imbibed while we entertained them probably softened their literary tastes.

2. What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write amateur sleuth mysteries. The mystery appeals to readers because it offers a happy ending when in real life, murders may go unsolved, or lack the swift redemptive justice we would prefer. I enjoy creating bad guys and girls who deserve to be punished, and ensuring they get what’s coming to them. My stories are not romances, but typically have a romantic subplot. In my Rock Shop Mystery series, a widow must work through her grief before she can allow herself to love again.

3. What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

I discovered that my public library carries books on cd. I am working my way through all the Sue Grafton alphabet series. Listening to murder mysteries while driving makes me cherish every stoplight, instead of chomping at the bit in frustration. “Oh, caught by the light. I’ll be late, but maybe I can finish this chapter.”

4. What is your favorite part of writing?

The terror of beginning a new project balances with the thrill of discovery as plot and characters unfold. Writing the first rough draft can be intimidating and frustrating, but I know there will be a finished story eventually, making the hard work worthwhile. Revising and editing the manuscript requires polishing and incorporating beta-reader suggestions. Seeing the finished product, whether magazine or novel, is rewarding. Having a reader tell me he or she enjoyed a story, and why, is the ultimate accomplishment. Each step has its own rewards. Can I say my favorite part of writing is the entire creative process?

5. What is your least favorite part of writing?

The business aspects of writing are my least favorite part of the process, although it is very necessary. Keeping a log of writing hours and expenses. Seeking markets. Trying to get attention for my work in a crowded marketplace, when I am not a “look at me” kind of person. I have learned that people don’t bite. Usually. So I am more likely now to tell a stranger I write fiction than I was at the beginning of this journey.

6. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who would they be and why?

My parents are both such quirky people. They molded who I am, for better or worse. I could not imagine having any other parents. One of my short story characters, frustrated actor and factory floor laborer Marlin Hammerbach, would like to have been the son of Sir Laurence Olivier and Dame Joan Ann Plowright, the Baroness Olivier. Alas.

7. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

I usually have a character or snippet of a scene pop into my head. Some grow on me, and occupy more and more of my thoughts. The idea for Stone Cold Case began on a multi-family camping trip in the mountains. The adventurous young people discovered a dilapidated hunting dugout. Branches had been placed across a narrow gully, and a blue plastic tarp hung over the entrance. Age and weather had worn it down, giving it an air of creepy decay. The kids had great fun dropping through the “roof” and sliding down the gully full of rotting leaves.

I had a “what if” moment. My imagination dreamed up a body buried under the leaves. That image stuck with me for a couple years before it worked into a story. In Stone Cold Case, the body is not found in a hunting blind, but both the blue tarp and the imaginary body became vital to the story.

8. Tell me about your ideal reader.

I truly appreciate my terrific readers. They tell me that while a steamy romance or terrifying thriller are not off their reading lists, they also enjoy gentler stories sometimes called cozy mysteries. They enjoy intelligent writing because they are smart people. Most have fallen in love with one of my characters. I don’t mind if it is one of the donkeys in the Rock Shop Mystery series, although short story character Dr. Charles Jerome Harrison runs a close second in my informal polls. My ideal reader buys my books, but I am happy when they check them out from the library, too.

9. What is your “go to” routine that helps you get in the mood to write? Special beverage? Music? Etc.

My most creative writing time is 5:30 to 6:30 am. I am least likely to be interrupted in the early morning. Sunday afternoons when I have the house to myself are great for marathon writing sessions. Classical or instrumental music via headphones is helpful when I can’t have the quiet I want. I am just too easily distracted to work in a coffee shop. Ideal beverage? Definitely coffee. My idea of heaven is writing on my deck on a summer morning. It doesn’t happen nearly often enough!

Rock shop owner Morgan Iverson’s discovery of human remains reopens a cold case and unhealed wounds in a Colorado mountain town, while her find of a rare gemstone sparks a dangerous treasure hunt. Fifteen years ago, prom queen Carlee Kruger vanished. When Carlee’s mother asks Morgan to investigate her death, the clues seem as convoluted as the coils on a fossilized ammonite. The hunt for the truth heats up as the local newspaper editor helps Morgan uncover the past. The rock shop’s mascot donkeys and an elderly cowboy chase after a Sasquatch look-alike who may hold the key to Carlee’s death. Whoever knows what happened to Carlee will do anything to keep the truth buried.

My most recent short story, “The Chemistry of Heroes”, appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine’s May 2016 issue.

The Marshall Gasket Company renovation hits a snag when a body is discovered under a newly poured concrete floor. The factory is plagued with thefts of supplies used in meth labs, while animal rights activists protest an art gallery display of taxidermy. Chemistry holds the solution when Dr. Charles Jerome Harrison and his young assistant Tony Gilbert once again become entangled in a murder case.

~~~~~

Be sure to come back to read more about Catherine and her book, STONE COLD CASE, A Rock Shop Mystery on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Catherine is giving away one hardcover copy of STONE COLD CASE to one lucky reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Catherine, for sharing your story with us.

Good morning, Catherine, and welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench! Like you, I’m a rock hound. Or at least I used to be. Had a wonderful fossil and rock collection growing up. I even considered geology as my college major. I still love finding treasures when I’m in the mountains. Isn’t it funny the way we sometimes “discover” our stories. What a fun trigger for your story! 🙂

Hello Karen – thank you for having me as a guest on your website. Rocks and fossils are fascinating, and some “rocks” in the form of gemstones are amazingly valuable. I think most people have an interesting stone, pebble, or fossil they discovered, and place on a windowsill or shelf.

Waving hi to both Karen and Catherine. Cathy failed to mention one thing. No only is she a prolific writer, she’s a darn good driver and is one of the leaders of our Denver carpool to Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America! Speaking of which, we’ve missed you.

I really appreciate your interview, you two, particularly when you say you’re not a “look at me” kind of person. There’s nothing harder for an introvert to do in my opinion. You’re doing the major thing you can do to help you’re career, Catherine, and that’s writing. And not too shabby for Alfred Hitchcock. Go you!!!

Hi Donnell – I agree. The most important thing a writer can do to advance his or her career is to keep writing, and hopefully improve with each novel or short story. Being published in Alfred Hitchcock has been an unexpected delight. Just goes to show, you never know where your talent lies until you try.

“I have learned that people don’t bite. Usually.” 🙂 You crack me up, Catherine. I know what you mean about not being a look-at- me person, and the effort it takes to overcome that inhibition. Over time, I’ve got a little more used to being looked at–to the point where now when I’m doing a signing I’m projecting “look at me” thought waves. Don’t know how well it’s working–for all I know people may be thinking I look rabid.

Allan, so true. Introverted authors struggle to adopt a public persona when we’d rather hide in our writing caves. I think of the scene in Addams Family Values where Wednesday pastes on a smile with excruciating effort. It’s about that tough for me to crawl out of my shell of shyness.

Thanks for doing this interview. It’s a great way to introduce a new reader (like me) to your books, and to let us know a little more about you than we find on the book cover. I look forward to reading your work. And congrats for being in Hitchcock – what a wonderful credit!

Nancy, I hope you enjoy reading about the rock shop and the escape artist donkeys. Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine is celebrating its 60 year anniversary. I am truly honored to be included in its pages.

Hi Patricia – Karen has such interesting questions in her interviews, they encourage authors to open up about their lives and writing processes. I had nearly forgotten about the little plays we performed as kids for the great aunts. Thanks for dropping by!